Which are major hosts for spruce spider mites?

Which are major hosts for spruce spider mites?

• A. Spruce, hemlock, arborvitae, pine, firs.
• B. Maple, oak, birch, elm, ash
• C. Cedar, redwood, cypress, palm
• D. Grass, sedge, moss, fern

Answer: (A)

Spruce spider mites target evergreen conifers, so their major hosts are the conifers listed: spruce and its relatives such as hemlock, arborvitae, pine, and fir. These trees provide the needle structure and dry conditions that favor mite feeding and rapid reproduction, leading to visible damage like stippling and bronzing on needles and sometimes webbing along shoots. The other plant groups—deciduous broadleaf trees (maple, oak, birch, elm, ash) and other evergreens not typically affected by this mite in typical landscapes (like cedar, redwood, cypress, palm), as well as non-plant groundcover like grass, moss, and ferns—are not the primary hosts for spruce spider mites.

Spruce spider mites target evergreen conifers, so their major hosts are the conifers listed: spruce and its relatives such as hemlock, arborvitae, pine, and fir. These trees provide the needle structure and dry conditions that favor mite feeding and rapid reproduction, leading to visible damage like stippling and bronzing on needles and sometimes webbing along shoots. The other plant groups—deciduous broadleaf trees (maple, oak, birch, elm, ash) and other evergreens not typically affected by this mite in typical landscapes (like cedar, redwood, cypress, palm), as well as non-plant groundcover like grass, moss, and ferns—are not the primary hosts for spruce spider mites.